Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or its characters. The rights go to Naoko Takeuchi.
Member 2906
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Well, I tried.
I tried so hard, but it was becoming impossible to stay strong. And failure was becoming sweeter by the second. So sweet and so tempting. My mind was slowly giving in to the enticement as my resolution came crashing down. I could for just a moment, right? A moment couldn't hurt.
I had my head supported with my hand with the other loosely clutching a copy of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. My eyelids felt heavy, as if weights were attached to them. The stern, shrill voice of my teacher Sister Izumi faded into a muffled, buzzing hum, the words no longer reaching my ears. The need for sleep won victoriously the battle of staying awake as my eyes finally closed and refused to open again. I could hardly believe I was sleeping in my English Literature class. I was getting as bad as Usagi.
"Miss Hino? Miss Hino!" Sister Izumi sharply exclaimed. Her sharp tone flinched me awake. I could feel heat creep into my cheeks and my stomach twist in guilt, aware that everyone's eyes were on me.
Sister Izumi's beady eyes were glinting at me with folded arms from where she stood behind her desk, sternly gripping another copy of Gulliver's Travels. For the first time, I noticed how much she resembled a vulture with her glaring eyes, beaked nose, and the way her shoulders were always tensed as she hunched over. The strange feeling of being roadkill grew in my gut.
I had to swallow to get rid of the lump that was forming in my throat.
"Laziness will not be tolerated, Miss Hino," she shrilly warned me before returning to the book, reading the rest of a selected passage to the class.
I briefly glanced at the clock that was secured above the teacher's head. Released a sharp exhale when I saw the black hands reading 3 o'clock. A half hour still remained.
Quickly blinked my eyes, trying to dispel the drowsiness. I fixed what little focus I still had on the pages in front of me, suppressing the urge to yawn. I could still feel the weighted gaze of Sister Izumi across the room, causing my impending fate as roadkill to come back. My eyes blankly skimmed the paragraphs in an act, comprehension getting lost somewhere between page and my brain.
Thank Kami, I thought as the final bell rang, signaling the completion of the day.
"For homework, write a paper analyzing Part 1. Your analysis should include themes, motifs, major characters, and the irony Swift used. I expect a minimum of two pages the day after tomorrow," Sister Izumi sternly projected over the sound of chairs scraping back as the class rose from their desks. Stiffly bending at the waist, we bowed to show our respect as our teacher left the room.
I fell back in my chair, resting my face on the coolness of my desk. I took a deep breath into my lungs, closing my eyes to recover some degrees of fatigue. Why did I answer the phone last night? I mentally cursed myself. Had I known it was Minako who just wanted to talk about a new boy band, I would have buried the stupid phone in the garden or thrown it in the Holy Fire for the sake of my sacred sleep. I sighed exhausted, recalling my mistake of a simple button. Who knew Minako could talk about a band for nearly three hours?
I swear if she could turn that focus to her schoolwork, she could compete with Ami.
My communicator watch sounded a series of beeps, alerting me to someone's call. I peeled my cheek off the desk and flipped open the watch. Minako's face appeared, bright and wide awake, I noted enviously, despite talking well past midnight the night before.
"I'll meet you outside Tokyo Dome in three hours," she said as if I knew what she was talking about. "I know last night I said I would meet up with you after school, but there's something I need to do before the concert."
Concert? What concert?
I searched my memory for any clue to what she was talking about. I could only vaguely recall her mentioning already paying for an extra ticket or something. Did I say I would go to a concert with her?
"Just wait until you hear Three Lights. You'll love them so much you'll die!" She exclaimed. "Gotta go. Bye!" With that, she hung up on our one-person conversation.
"I'll die, huh? Can't wait," I muttered to no one as I closed the communicator. I looked at the watch. If I hurried home, I could get in some sleep before the concert.
I pushed my body off the chair, gathering my books and pencil in my black schoolbag. With eyes half-shut, I navigated to the bus stop two blocks away by memory, the result of following the same routine everyday. I climbed onto the bus, slumping into the nearest empty seat that was by an open window. Fresh spring air pushed through and into my lungs, removing some of my fatigue.
I pulled out my music player to pass the 20 minute ride, putting on the headphones. On the woken screen was displayed Borns-Seeing Stars, a song that currently held my interest. I lost myself between the beat and the scenery passing the window. The leaves on the trees had just started growing back in shades of green. Birds chirped and cooed. The air was fresh and alive with the feeling of new life. I took another deep breath, perceiving the faint scent of grass carried by the breeze. A calmness settled in my bones as the bus rumbled and huffed steadily. Part of me wished to stay like this for hours, but I couldn't.
My thoughts wandered to Three Lights.
Sure, I've heard of them before. It's difficult to go to an all-girls school and not know who the hottest boy bands are. And based on word around the school, they were very handsome. But I've never heard any of their music. I never had any interest. From what I've heard, they just sounded like idols after fame, especially after hearing how their fanbase expanded faster than lightning, almost reaching three thousand people not even a week after their debut.
Yes they were popular, but that didn't mean they were good, right?
Fame was only an indicator of how likable they were to a general audience or, as Minako once put it, how high their "hotness factor" is. It wasn't a measure of skill or artistry. At least that was how I saw it.
The bus finally hissed to my stop, breaking my train of thought. Paying the fee, I quickly stepped off the bus and headed the rest of the way to the Hikawa. After five minutes, I reached the base of the staircase. A wave of fatigue hit me as I lazily climbed the stairs. Felt like I would die before reaching the top.
I dragged to my room, tossing my schoolbag and jacket to the floor and collapsed on my bed. Two hours later I managed to wake up, just in time to get ready and reach Tokyo Dome on time. Quickly took a hot shower, wrapping my hair in a bun to keep it from getting too wet. The hot water washed away any lasting effects of my exhaustion from earlier. I put on a white, button-up blouse and black shorts after drying off, letting my long hair down. I had to leave the messy strands, knowing I was already running late. Grabbing my wallet and a pair or black sandals, I hurried down to the bus stop.
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Minako was waiting in front of Tokyo Dome for me with something white draped over an arm. The creases of her frown could be seen miles away. Her impatient blue eyes searched the crowd like a hunter looking for game. That makes me prey twice today. I sighed as I approached her, wondering if she would give mercy.
"There you are! The concert's about to start," she exclaimed, while shoving a bundle at me.
"What is this?" I asked as I held in front of me. It unfolded to be a white T-shirt with I Three Lights prominently on the front in big red letters. Then I noticed she was wearing the same shirt with a yellow skirt and white flip-flops.
"Just put it on and shut up!" she demanded, dragging me by the arm inside, not giving me even a millisecond of protest.
The lights went out in the dome shortly after we found our seats. Anticipation clung to the air, causing the hum of excited chatter to gradually quiet into a suffocated silence, like everyone was holding their breath. I glanced over at Minako who was clutching her hands to her heart, staring bewitched with an excited smile at the dark stage. I shifted uncomfortably in that stupid shirt, looking around. It seemed everyone was in a similar pose as Minako, all leaning forward in anticipation. A couple rows ahead and a little to the right, my eyes caught short blue hair. Ami? I wondered. I leaned to get a better look, but the girl next to the blue hair shifted, completely blocking my view.
I flung myself back into the seat with my arms folded, exhaling sharply. It couldn't be Ami, could it? She didn't seem to be the type to listen of anything Minako liked. It would be the first time their opposite tastes converged which was highly unlikely to ever happen.
One by one, lights flicked on to reveal the three idols in suits posing on the stage, each holding a rose. Waves of screams and cheers exploded from the large crowd. Also exploded my ears. I distinctly heard one girl near me yell "Taiki! I love you!" and another "Marry me Seiya!" I snorted.
The music began, quieting the screaming a little, but not much.
Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten sang with a strong passion that easily overpowered their adoring fans. Their voices blended in perfect, smooth harmony, each with a tenderness and focus that I never imagined. Especially from a teenage boy band.
The entire space was flooded with their sound, beckoning, calling out, searching. Rising and falling, it pulled my senses in like a strong tide, slowly drowning in the warm timbre. Love. Heartache. Longing. Regret. I could feel everything in their words.
I felt tingling run up and down my arms, goosebumps coating my skin.
Beautiful. They were beautiful.
Silver hair caught my attention, shining under the spotlight. Like a halo.
My eyes locked onto his movements like they were magnetized.
The expression on his pale face was serious and furrowed as he sang fervently into the microphone. Passion and longing brightly flashed in his emerald eyes as he stared into the distance like the audience wasn't there, like he was somewhere else only he knew. He thrust an open hand out in front of him and pulled it back to his chest, almost desperately.
My attention stayed fixed on him the rest of the concert, fascinated. A bright warmth shone from his body, flowing down from the stage like a river of light, washing over the crowds of starstruck fans.
As bright as a star. Warmer than the sun.
I never knew a person could shine like he did.
A shudder shook my shoulders with chills swimming down my body, my heart thudding hard against my rib cage. There was something, something that went deeper than the lyrics, the instruments, and their voices. Something that sank beneath my skin and rumbled my bones.
Almost like a murmur, but not. A message, but about what? For whom?
I didn't realize when the concert ended. I sat in the same daze that everyone was in before, staring at the empty stage. Minako grinned at me, nudging with an elbow.
"So, who's your favorite?" she asked suggestively. "It's Yaten, isn't it?"
"What? No! Don't be ridiculous!" I defended. I could feel my face heat up as Minako narrowed suspicious eyes at me. How the hell did she guess? "Can we go home now? I'm tired and leagues behind on homework," I said in an effort to change the subject before my face gave away anything. I stood up and headed for the exit, indicating that I didn't want to delve in that subject anymore.
"I thought for sure you would like Yaten," she said, catching up to me.
"Who?" I asked, distracted. I could have sworn on Kami that I saw Ami walk past just then. I tried to find her again to confirm, but she was gone as quickly as she appeared. Minako sigh frustrated next to me.
"Whatever. Keep denying it all you want, but the Goddess of Love always knows." She winked knowingly. I rolled my eyes. "See you later," she said before turning left to get to the bus that would take her home.
"Hey, you forgot my shirt!" I called after her.
"Keep it. I have a feeling you want it," she replied over her shoulder.
I went right, snorting at Minako's comment. The moon shone brightly, bathing the streets and sidewalk in milky light. A nice evening breeze brushed past, bringing with it the same peace from earlier. I decided to walk home. I wanted to relish in the dead peace of the night. I looked at the stars scattered across the black sky as I walked, taking a deep breath of the cool night air.
The concert replayed in my mind as I hummed what I could remember with a small smile playing my lips. It was indescribable, the way they sang. It was something I had never experienced before.
I realized that they weren't fame-hungry idols, just after the glory or the money. They were stars.
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Hiya! (^o^)/
Thanks for reading!
I don't know if I'll continue this or not yet. Maybe, maybe not. I'll try and see what happens :)
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